The treatment of waste materials and gas emissions continues to be a problem in both conventional and High Recycle/Reclaimed Asphalt HMA systems. Filtering methods such as, bag houses, quench scrubbers, cyclones, incinerators and combinations thereof, have all been used to treat gas streams produced during HMA production. Although these processes are useful, they do not address the environmental problems such as, harmful waste water streams, fire hazards, high energy consumption and high cost of operation, that result from their use.
The present disclosure provides an improved system and process for the production of High Recycle/Reclaimed Asphalt (greater than 50% binder replacement with recycle material) containing HMA. Unlike conventional processing systems, the presently disclosed system utilizes a combination of dryer design and cyclone and wet scrubber technology to remove dust, particulate matter and oil residue from hot gas emissions produced during the process and recycles it back into the system. What was traditionally a waste water stream that was directed outside of the system for further treatment, is now recycled back into the main process and used to treat coarse Recycled/Reclaimed Asphalt materials as they enter into the system dryer. As a result, the disclosed system and process is safer, cleaner and more cost effective than conventional High Recycle/Reclaim Asphalt HMA processes.